As Rv’ing has proven to be a remarkably popular and gratifying way to travel across the country, tips for long RV trips are essential. The operative word in the term “RV” is recreational. Pleasure, enjoyment, relaxation – a particular mode of travel that allows for more spontaneity than most. The entire journey should be enjoyed, not just anticipation of arriving at your destination. Allowing for ample travel time allows vacationers to take advantage of serendipitous opportunities to explore and experience excursions along the way that are unique and location-specific. RV’ing is so popular that approximately 1 million Americans use their RV as their primary residence. To travel in a vehicle that contains most of the amenities of home easily allows for extended trips.
Just like the old carpentry adage “measure twice, cut once,” the more you prepare and plan, the more rewards you will reap from your long RV trip with less mishaps and delays.
Your RV trip planner should include multiple lists of all necessary supplies, tools, maps, and even a set-up and breaking camp list. Did you lock the storage unit? Check. You wouldn’t want to go over a large pothole and have a flap open strewing your belongings over the highway!
You may want to pack a good supply of your favorite convenience foods for times when going to the supermarket or restaurant is not convenient or out of range. Be sure to be stocked with food, water, extra fuel, batteries, flares, first aid, medications, proof of insurance, etc. Check the condition of your tires and inspect them regularly throughout the duration of your trip.
Set realistic targets. Don’t make your schedule overly ambitious. Pushing yourself to exhaustion is not the idea of an enjoyable trip. Road fatigue is dangerous. Several stops to stretch, refresh and not feel pressed can make the entire trip, the road, the stops and the destinations more enjoyable. If possible, have someone who can serve as a backup driver. This will cut down on driver fatigue, and if one driver was to feel not well enough to drive, the trip would not have to be stalled.
Find RV parks in locations that you can spend several days or a few weeks at that is central to many day excursions. Zuni RV Park in Kingman, Az offers an ideal location in Northwest Arizona. From Kingman, you can book a day tour (transportation provided) to Bearizona Wildlife Park approximately two hours away. And just under three hours away is the Grand Canyon. Laughlin, NV is a mere 34 miles away and is known for their outdoor water sports and multiple casinos. In fact, Las Vegas is only 100 miles from the Zuni RV Park in Kingman.
Let friends and family know where you expect to be at various intervals along the way and keep in communication when you have a signal. If in the unlikely event your vehicle were to break down on some isolated stretch of road without a signal, concerned family and friends could alert the authorities of your approximate or last know location if you were to become incommunicado for too long.
There are GPS on the market designed specifically for RV travel. You can input your RV’s size and weight and have routes selected that are RV friendly. You can be alerted about narrow roads, steep inclines and declines, low overpasses, etc. Even knowing where the next truck stop is for refueling is important to know if one has ever tried to maneuver a large RV rig into a not-so-accommodating service station that primarily caters to passenger cars.
Doing some online research and reading travel blogs of seasoned RV’ers sharing their tips for long RV trips is an invaluable investment of time that should pay off immeasurably by avoiding rooky errors. It is quite easy to become quickly infatuated with this distinct and remarkable mode of travel.